McKay was a 1917 graduate of Oregon State and served as its student body president. He served as governor of Oregon from 1949 to 1952, and also served as mayor of Salem (1933-35), state senator (1935-1949), and U.S. Secretary of the Interior (1953-1956). Colvig attended Oregon State in the early 1910s, and became well known as the voice of several Disney characters.